DRBC Executive Director Kristen Bowman Kavanagh introduces Summit attendees to the DRBC's public input process for its Climate Resilience Plan. Photo by DRBC.

The Delaware Estuary Science and Environmental Summit was held February 11-12, 2025, in Wilmington, Del. Since 2005, this biennial Science Summit has been bringing together scientists and environmental professionals, researchers and leaders to discuss the problems facing the Delaware River Estuary and work towards potential solutions.

This year's Science Summit featured more than 70 poster and in-person presentations about environmental topics ranging from threats to ecosystems and drinking water from pollution to increased access to outdoor spaces and climate resilience.

The Summit is organized by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. Since the Summit's early years, DRBC staff has been involved, providing presentations on DRBC water resource management efforts, moderating sessions and simply being an attendee, learning about what others are doing in the estuary and seeking opportunities for collaboration and partnership. This year was no different.

Over the Summit's two days, DRBC staff presented the following (all pdfs):

  • Improving Dissolved Oxygen in the Delaware River Estuary: Moving from a Pathway to Implementation

  • Use of Change Factor Methodology to Estimate Dissolved Oxygen Under Various Loading Conditions

  • Understanding Sediment Oxygen Demand in the Delaware River Estuary Impacts, Insights and Uncertainties

 
  • Long Term PFAS Monitoring in the Delaware River and Tributaries

  • Enhancing Spill Response through Modeling and Automation

  • Upstream Opportunities: A listening approach to early public engagement in DRBC climate resilience planning (pdf; given at the February 2025 PDE Science Summit)

DRBC Manager of Water Resource Modeling Thomas Amidon presents an update on DRBC's estuary dissolved oxygen improvement work. Photo by the DRBC.	DRBC Water Resource Scientist Dr. Matthew Amato discusses ongoing work to learn more about how organic matter in sediment impacts oxygen. Photo by the DRBC.	DRBC Water Resource Engineer Dr. Joey Fogarty talks about DRBC's spill response model and current enhancements. Photo by the DRBC.	DRBC Sr. Chemist/Toxicologist Dr. Jeremy Conkle gives an update on DRBC's PFAS work and planned next steps. Photo by the DRBC.